Leviste Draws Parallels Between Today’s Politics and Marcos Sr. Martial Law

Batangas Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste is sounding the alarm, declaring that the Philippines is now living under what he calls “de facto martial law” undeclared, but deeply felt across the country.

The lawmaker said fear has taken hold as government critics are allegedly being targeted with cases, while political allies appear to be spared.

“People are afraid to speak,” Leviste warned, saying silence is no longer a choice but a survival tactic for many Filipinos.

He claimed this climate has allowed laws to pass quietly, without debate, while billions of pesos in public funds allegedly slip through without scrutiny. Leviste pointed to payments for select media and social media personalities, as well as troll farms accused of spreading fake news and launching coordinated attacks against critics of the administration.

Drawing a chilling comparison to the Martial Law era under former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Leviste said the pattern of intimidation feels disturbingly familiar.

“Back then, critics were jailed, driven into exile, or had their livelihoods destroyed,” he said but they fought back.

Leviste stressed that opposition figures, civil society, and the private sector eventually helped bring down the dictatorship, proving that fear does not last forever.

The Batangas solon said he believes today’s voices of dissent will also prevail, warning that history will not be kind to those who stay quiet.

“Those who remain silent will be remembered as accomplices to the greatest corruption in our nation’s history,” he said.

Leviste ended with a fiery call for the public to protect whistleblowers and truth-tellers, urging Filipinos to stand up before it is too late.

His remarks come as debates intensify over accountability, press freedom, and the future of Philippine democracy.